Tag: Artemis
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Starship Flight 12: Block 3 Impresses on First Flight
On Friday, May 22, 2026, at 5:30:21 pm CDT, Starship Flight 12 lifted off from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. This stack, which comprised Ship 39 and Booster 19, was the first Block 3 stack to fly for the Starship Program. As well as launching from the completely redesigned Pad 2 at Starbase. This flight…
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SpaceX’s new Starship pad readies for first launch
Over the last two years, SpaceX has been constructing a completely redesigned launch pad for Starship, drawing on lessons learned from the first 11 flights. The new pad alongside Block 3 of Starship is a clean-sheet design that should help SpaceX move toward a much more reusable launch pad. Flame Trench Pad 2 is a…
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Artemis II Crew Briefs Congress on 10-Day Lunar Mission Success
How did NASA’s Artemis II crew perform during their 10-day lunar flyby mission? NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen briefed congressional staff Tuesday on their successful Artemis II mission, which completed a nearly 10-day cislunar space journey. The crew brought “Rise,” their zero gravity indicator from…
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NASA Lunabotics 2026 Competition Tests Student Lunar Mining Tech
What makes NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Competition critical for lunar operations? NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge will field over 80 university teams competing May 19-21 at Kennedy Space Center’s Astronauts Memorial Foundation Center for Space Education, testing autonomous robots designed to excavate and transport lunar regolith. The competition directly feeds into NASA’s Artemis Program requirements for In-Situ…
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MDA Space advances Gateway robotic arm despite funding uncertainty
Will MDA Space complete the Gateway robotic arm amid funding uncertainty? MDA Space is pressing forward with development of the Canadarm3 robotic system for NASA’s lunar Gateway station while navigating ongoing discussions with the Canadian Space Agency about program continuity and funding levels. The Toronto-based contractor confirmed work continues on the 8.5-meter manipulator system despite…
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NASA Pushes Beyond Rad-Hard Chips for Next-Gen Space Computing
How is NASA moving beyond radiation-hardened processors for space missions? NASA is partnering with industry to advance high-performance spaceflight computing beyond traditional radiation-hardened processors, marking a fundamental shift from the agency’s decades-long reliance on rad-hard chips that prioritize survival over speed. The initiative addresses a critical performance gap: while commercial processors deliver teraflops of computing…
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Lunar Debris Now Exceeds 200 Pieces as Moon Mission Traffic Surges
How Much Lunar Debris Now Orbits and Litters the Moon? The Moon now harbors over 200 cataloged pieces of human-made debris across its surface and orbital environment, marking the first significant accumulation of space junk beyond Earth orbit. This debris field includes failed landers, spent upper stages, impact craters from intentional crashes, and scattered hardware…
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Janet Petro Steps Down as Kennedy Space Center Director
What does Janet Petro’s retirement mean for Kennedy Space Center operations? Janet Petro, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since 2021, announced her retirement Friday after a 19-year career with the agency. Her departure comes as KSC manages the most ambitious launch manifest in decades, including multiple Artemis Program missions, Commercial Crew Program flights, and…
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Artemis III core stage assembly arrives at the Kennedy Space Center
Nearly one month after Artemis II’s historic launch with four astronauts flying by the Moon, processing for the next Artemis flight is making progress in advance of its scheduled 2027 flight. The core stage assembly – not including the engine section – for Artemis III arrived at the turn basin at the Kennedy Space Center…
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NASA Gateway Modules Show Corrosion After Years in Storage
What’s causing delays with NASA’s Lunar Gateway modules? NASA’s Lunar Gateway faces a significant setback as its primary modules—the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and Power and Propulsion Element (PPE)—have developed corrosion during extended storage. Originally scheduled to launch in 2022, these critical components for lunar orbit operations have been sitting in storage facilities for…